Thursday, April 26, 2007

How to knock "faked Bloody Sock?" and "sportswriter-as-transsexual" BOTH from the top of the most-talked-about story list?

Vick's latest "Wow" moment: This morning, how did I NOT cover the Michael Vick dog- and cockfighting (regrettably, not together) empire being busted by the authorities. Typically, Will has the definitive post, but it's worth repeating: WTF is Vick thinking?

How to knock "sportswriter-as-transsexual" from the top of the most-talked-about story list? Here you go...

Schilling's Bloody Sock-Gate: Gary Thorne said on TV last night that the famous Schilling "Bloody Sock" thing was a fake, which would implode one of the greatest baseball mythological moments of all time. Everyone involved rejects Thorne's offhand remark about it, and I fully expect for Thorne to back off. Way off. Even at the risk of his own cred. (Waiting on a response at 38Pitches.com.)

In what is sure to be the most talked-about sports story of the day, LA Times sportswriter Mike Penner announced he is a transsexual and when he returns to the paper, he will be Christine Daniels.

And his essay in the paper about it is both inspiringly thoughtful and an absolute must-read. I cannot imagine how difficult it was to write, but she articulated herself beautifully.

I can only imagine how difficult things have been for Christine, and I can only wish her everything she wants from life -- and the respect from readers and colleagues that match her own admirable self-respect.

SportsByBrooks checks out the LA Times' own coverage. (So, yes, I guess there IS a benefit to being a sports-blogger on the West Coast, rather than being part of the Northeast Corridor Sports-Blog Mafia. You get a jump on these issues that start out there.)

Meanwhile, the top intrigue is at the top: Who will the Raiders take? The word is that they are negotiating with QBs JaMarcus Russell and Brady Quinn, along with WR/BPA Calvin Johnson. Where it stops, nobody knows...

Moving directly down the board, hilarity ensues at No. 2 when the Lions (and Matt Millen) inevitably screw up their pick. Hopefully, the NYC crowd will take up the "Fire Millen!" cause. More NFL Draft later today.

As for the Browns at No. 3, they might get the Leftover QB (cough! Quinn!) now that it has just leaked out that RB Adrian Peterson re-injured his collarbone during the Fiesta Bowl. His decision to play in that game, rather than focus on his pro career, could have just cost him millions.

NBA Playoffs: Mavs tie up Warriors. Credit/blame it on Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson getting tossed. Of COURSE the Mavs were going to win this one; let's see what happens when the motivated Warriors get two home games.

Spurs even up with Nuggets: Again, it's nearly a given that if the heavily favored home team loses Game 1 (and home-court advantage), they're going to come back and win Game 2. The NBA Playoffs really start when series get to the road team's house for two games.

MLB: How about the Marlins? Just as Tim Hudson (career-high 12 Ks) is about to put an exclamation point on his NL-best April, Florida scores 4 runs in the 9th to ruin the lock-solid W and steal the game on a passed ball.

Stud: Jake Peavy, 16 Ks in 7 IP, including 9 straight Ks at one point. 9 straight! Uh, but he got Hudsoned and missed out on the W. (Dud: Bob Wickman, who couldn't close the deal for the Braves in the aforementioned game.)

NASCAR: I'm a day late on this, but I'm not going to disagree with Tony Stewart's comments that NASCAR officials use caution flags to manipulate races. Should he have compared the sport to pro wrestling? It's hyperbole, making for a great quote, and I'm sure NASCAR officials are completely ticked off, but he's not wrong. NASCAR has been masterful at maintaining "wink-wink" dynamics between drivers, media and fans. You don't have to be a NASCAR fan to find this fascinating.

College Football: The BCS format is staying through 2009, so save your griping. Or start your griping. Whatever. But it sounds like league commissioners are ready to think about a "Plus-One" model.

Too bad the Plus-One model doesn't solve the underlying problem if there are: (a) three unbeaten teams, (b) three (or more) 1-loss teams, (c) one non-BCS unbeaten (like BoiseState) and more than one 1-loss BCS team. The list of scenarios that tilt a "Plus-One" model goes on.

The point is this: Barring an 8-team playoff (which would appropriately be called "Plus-Two," because you'd have two rounds of games after the initial 8-team, 4-game round of bowls), the current system isn't solved by "Plus-One" and – in fact – isn't quite as bad as its critics bleat.

Last year's title game established that – like the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee – the BCS system actually can make a proper pairing.

Rutgers Women's Hoops: Vivian Stringer, who in the last month has become the most powerful person in women's basketball, got a new contract that pays her as much as Rutgers football coach Greg Schiano.

Soccer: Someone who understands English soccer needs to jump in the Comments and explain Alan Ball's place in the country's soccer mythology.

NBA: Larry Brown to coach the Grizzlies? Let's review: Larry Brown is the WORST choice to coach a young "up-and-coming" team anchored around what will likely be one of the top two rookies in the draft. His "Right Way" is the absolute "Wrong Way" for a developing team. Just ask Knicks fans. Brown would ruin Greg Oden or Kevin Durant.

NBA: Pacers fire Rick Carlisle. Given that he's covered under the legendary "NBA Coaches Recycling System," I expect to see him re-hired by one of the teams with an opening by Draft Day. Enjoy.

MLB Injuries: Mark Prior done for 2007, thus securing him a coveted early-decision spot in our "MLB Duds of the Year" List. Where would Prior rank among the MLB hard-luck cases of the decade? Top 5? Top 3? No. 1?

Olbermann Watch: As he is always a hot topic among Commenters, check out his Q&A with SI.com's MVP Richard Deitsch.

Whitlock Watch: Is Rosie O'Donnell leaving The View so she can pursue her love-child with Big Sexy? Meanwhile, at a forum at HarvardLawSchool, Whitlock confirmed that while he might be getting tons of cred as a "national" voice on race issues, he's still kind of a misogynist.

(I'm all for getting yours, but Whitlock is setting new records for shameless milking of what was effectively a single provocative column that itself was a derivative of an earlier column about Vegas/NBA written for AOL only after he originally embarrassed himself in his local paper with a pro-All-Star/Vegas column. Hell, he even managed to make himself look magnanimous in turning down the chance to be the Imus replacement. Impressive maneuvers for a guy whose ego might best be described as Albomesque.)

Philanthropy: "Athletes for Hope," a new charitable organization led by Lance, Agassi, Ali and other celebrity athletes, is going to do really well. In theory, it's a great idea. (But if they're going to unveil it yesterday, where is the companion Web site? Weak.)

(As I recover from last night's Idol telethon. The sad documentary footage of the needy trumped the lame musical performances. All I can say is: Phil Stacey better get the boot next week. Or, I should say, one of the boots.)

Take Your Kid to Work Day: In lieu of the actual job I don't have, I was blogging this morning and turned to my nearly-1-year-old this morning and said, "So, what do you think the Raiders will do?" He spouted something to the effect of: "Bah! Pffft! Ayiiii!" I translated that as: "Best Player Available." He now has added as much value to draft analysis as, say, Keyshawn Johnson. Any of you taking your kids to your workplace today?

70 comments:

"Last night a Baltimore announcer, Gary Thorne, said that Doug Mirabelli told him Curt's famous bloody sock was a lie. That it was paint. Well lets think about that for a second. Doug denies ever saying that, so is Dougie a liar? The sock is in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Should it be removed? And tested for DNA?"

The Braves losing that game was tough to watch, it was a gem by Hudson, but the Dud has to go to Bobby, who let Huddy pitch the 9th and load the bases. Wickman was put into the toughest spot.

The buzz here in Atlanta is that Arthur Blank has made it clear that he wants the Falcons moving up to 2 if Johnson is available. He'd be loved here in Atlanta, but he goes from Reggie Ball to Vick....

I don't even know how to comment on the Mike Penner story, other than when I saw transsexuality in the title of this mornings post I really thought Dan's few days off were for something way different than a vacation.

Tony Stewart isn't off the mark at all. There are a lot of mysterious cautions, to the point now that Fox has to show the reason for the caution if they know what it is because 90% of the time people think it is a caution to get Junior or Gordon or someone else caught up to the field. Not a good thing when your fanbase and your drivers think something is fishy.

It's sad to me that everyone knows that the Lions are just gonna mess up their pick. Ugh.

We went to Cuba a couple of years ago on vacation(1 benefit of being Canadian) and brought along some baseball hats among other things like toothpaste etc for tips. I offered either American money or the hats to the guys setting up our loungers at the pool and they took the hats and put them right on. Cubans love baseball and the Red Sox!!

"Hell, he even managed to make himself look magnanimous in turning down the chance to be the Imus replacement."

"The colossal prick even managed to make himself look magnanimous in turning down the chance to be the Imus replacement."

Fixed. Nice replication of a great Shawshank quote.

Peavy and Hudson having to watch their team collapse around them had to sting last night.

As for "Top 5 Hard Luck Athletes", Yeah, Prior has to be near the top of the list, for this decade at least. Right up there with Jr Griffey, Grant Hill, Eric Lindros, and considering it's recentness and catastrophic nature, Shaun Livingston.

Yes, I realize I just copped three of those names from RevScott. He types faster than I do...

Quick note on NASCAR (since I do have a NASCAR blog and have a post on Stewart coming later today) - Doesn't anyone remember the NBA? You think NASCAR is the only sport where the participants believe the officials are corrupt. I'm sure Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks from last season's NBA Championship agree that in sports the officials dictate alot of what happens. I don't remember people saying that the NBA refs keep the NBA from being a legitimate sport.

Also Rick Carlisle - PLEASE let Danny Ainge give Carlisle a call this weekend because at the very least he has a track record of more success than Doc Rivers, AND he is from the Celtics legacy which is always good for a coach in Boston.

i don't buy lindros as 'hard-luck'. my memory is that many of his concussions occurred because of his bad habit of skating with his head down. not like a freak injury if your own negligence contributes to it.

All Dante Hall can do is be a kick returner. And none of his big runbacks were straight speed, they all involved multiple cuts and dancing (read: illegal blocks everywhere). He was useless as a wide receiver and wasn't strong enough to break tackles on reverses. A disciplined defense would not get fooled by all his dancing.

I still think Quinn is going to be the better pro. But Russell has the most potential and pure athletic ability. Peterson still is going to be a stud in the NFL. His injuries have not been "devastating" ones for RBs (knee injuries).

I would have to put Junior Griffey and Grant Hill at the top of my list of hard luck atheletes and because both of these guys are my favorite player in their respective sport it has been difficult to watch the last 5 years.

The one thing that bothers me about Griffey's injury is how all of a sudden the same sportswriters who were annoiting him the greatest player of the '90s are now questioning his Hall of Fame credentials.

RE: Alan Ball, his place in the English mythology is that he was the youngest, but a key player on England's 1966 World Cup champion squad. He had a sterling Premier League career for Everton most notably, and also a particularly unspectacular career as a manager for several English clubs. No matter what his failures or successes as a player/manager, he will always be revered as one of the key cogs of the '66 World Cup champions.

I think Rick Carlisle is a pretty good coach who always gets the best out of the talent he's handed. I doubt there's a coach in the league who could take the Pacers to the playoffs this year with the crap he was handed after Golden State fleeced them in the Stephen Jackson trade.

Carlisle would be a perfect fit in Boston, Milwaukee or Seattle.

As for American Idol, I can't believe that show is still going on. Are they even down in the final 4 contestants yet? Now I know why my ex-girlfriend year-after-year would lament as I watched the final rounds of any sport's postseason "God, this is still going on?"

Great post today. Lots of good information and the links were even a good read today.

Can't wait until Cowherd says it's better the LA Times than the St. Louis Post Dispatch, or something else disparaging like that.

The Rutgers contract situation is only equal on the surface. Stringer and Schiano both get a base salary of $450K from the University. Schiano gets an extra $1.1M from the shoe/apparel deals, the booster fund, and his "mandatory" tv/ radio shows. In total, he makes minimum $1.5M, where Stringer has incentives that cap at $900K. For the 3rd winningest coach in women's hoops history, I think that's ok. But Dan, we all beat you to that story yesterday, starting with JHawkJim.

Can't really call Wickman a dud though. He came into a bases loaded, no one out, good hitters coming up situation. Yes, the passed ball was bad, but he was in a terrible situation. But, I also can't really fault Cox for getting him there -- the starter had a 1 hitter with 12 Ks, but still a relatively low pitch count. Why have a pitcher even warmed up in that situation?

The interview with KO was a good read, but I found it funny it had words spelled wrong and a few typos. Can't SI, which has professionals doing this stuff, get an article right? They truly are just about the pictures (unlike Playboy, of course -- which is about the articles). I don't like his politics, but if he can maintain a 100% separation of his two jobs, he could be entertaining.

Finally, my top 5 hard luck athletes has to start with Bo Jackson and Mark Prior at the top. They both had a couple chances to show absolute greatness, but never the real opportunity to put it all together. Junior is a hard luck case, but he's going to finish his career with over 600 home runs and in the Hall of Fame, so it's hard to call him hard luck, even though the record he was most headed to win will remain out of reach.

If mental issues are involved, another person that's hard to ignore is Mike Tyson. He was amazing, and then it just totally fell apart.

For baseball, Prior is definitely on that list. Griffey still has had a HOF career, though he could've been "best ever" I suppose. Still, Prior was a total phenom who had a pretty easy delivery that really seemed to make him less of a perceived injury risk than most other pitchers.

Rick Ankiel also comes to mind for someone with mental issues.

Wickman gave up 2 hits, the passed ball, and only got 1 out. Tough situation, yes, but not good for a closer still.

OK, I'm getting really sick of this whole Mark Prior thing. I am a Cubs fan as most of you know. Guess what?? Cubs fans really don't care about Mark Prior and neither does the team. Until he's in the Majors helping the Cubs win games, we won't care about him again. ESPN just keeps pushing and shoving all these updates about him down our throats and they need to realize that the Cubs don't need him this year. They have 4 good starters(Zambrano will be fine) and they've got a lot of options for the fifth (Miller, Guzman, Cotts if they want). Lets talk about Prior when he's back, and drop it until then!

Also with Prior, the injuries all stem from the colission with Giles in '04. That was a shoulder injury and pretty much every injury has been the same thing since. So don't blame anything on him. It was a stupid colision.

THERE IS NO SOLUTION. people bitch constantly about all the playoffs systems, like DIII, you just dont hear about it nationally. in with 65 teams, half of the ncaa tournament 'coverage is who got left out'

basically, if you complain about the BCS then your team sucks and you have no character. schedule tougher ansd then win your games. and then if you still lose, boo effing hoo.

Tyson can't be included in mental issues b/c he raped someone. He was never the same after he went to jail and after A'mato died.

Ankiel was never really THAT good. Duval was #2 or #3 in the game. Maybe even #1. Now Brad Lidge...he was #2 or #3 closer when Pujols ripped him a new one. He can fall into this category in a few years.

The Mirabelli/Thorne Bloody Sock thing really has to be one of the biggest non-stories ever. The Sox won both games he pitched, and I don't think anyone would ever deny that Schilling wasn't very hurt at the time regardless if it was blood or paint. Honestly, who cares?

I'd still include Tyson (though you're probably right about Ankiel). I mean Tyson is clearly mentally disturbed. There's a difference between forgetting how to throw strikes, kick a field goal, mishandle a long snap, etc. and being borderline insane. I think Tyson is pretty much borderline insane at this point.

Alan Ball was the little engine that could for that English, his work rate was absolutely enormous and that made him an enduring figure to the industrious, stoic British. He had to play hard, given that he was about 5'5" and not terribly quick. He very much embodied a certain underdog ideal, getting by on hard work and not on natural talent or athleticism.

I have to agree with Tony Stewart on the NASCAR issue. I was at the Brickyard 400 last year. Gordon had some issues and ended up 4-5 laps back and was the only car at least one lap behind. Amazingly, every time the leader was about to lap someone else a caution came out for "debris". With NASCAR's lucky dog rule to let the first car a lap down gain a lap back in play, Gordon ended up back on the lead lap without ever racing the leader to get a single lap back.

Alan Ball in important to England because he was the youngest player on England's 1966 World Cup winning team. Many people who played in and watched the final believe that he was the best player on the field that day. He may not have scored any goals, but it was his determination and desire that help propel the soccer mad English to thier first and only World Cup Championship.

The bloody sock thing is funny. It doesnt matter if it was fake. He may have just been using the paint for psychological advantage. It made for good tv. If it turns out it was fake, it would add to the legend.

Remember the whole controversy about Earnhardt's seat belt? NASCAR scapegoated and blackballed the seatbelt manufacturer, despite evidence that the belt might have been tampered with prior to the crash.

I was watching the Sox & O's last night when Gary Thorne made that comment about the sock and my jaw was on the floor. I was blown away because Gary is an absolute top-shelf announcer who grew up only 50 miles away from me in Maine. The guy MUST have been played by somebody to have said that on the air.

Cannot believe I forgot the living legend himself, Vincent Edward "Bo" Jackson. Especially considering I had the same hip injury two years later. I actually considered adding Brian Bosworth to my list, just for the way Bo dismantled him.

Also, I haven't finished going through the comments yet, but has anyone put Kerry Wood on this list yet? Freakish talent (remember the 20k's vs. the Astros as a rook?), unbelievable arm problems, now he'll be lucky to be a half-decent setup man.

Sounds eerily similar to Eric Gagne...

Also, to consider... and here comes the Boston bias coming through...

Larry Bird - back sidelined him too early; he probably had three more good seasons left.

Mentally...No love for Mitch "the Wild Thing" Williams? He was never the same after Joe Carter blasted that HR off him.

One that hits close to home. Nick Anderson's career came to a screeching halt after missing the four free throws at the end of game one of the NBA Finals. Mentally, he was a very talented player who never recovered.

As for injuries, how about Grant Hill (another one close to home) or the always promising Terrell Davis

ndyanksfan05 said... Its relevant because what kind of d-bag paints his sock to look cool?? It doesn't take away from the pitching performance, it just makes him look like an ass-clown.

I am a Yankee fan. I don't like Curt Shilling. But this is ridiculous statement. He did it for a psychological edge And whether it worked or not, and whether he painted it or not is COMPLETELY irrelevant and doesn't change the performance in my eyes at all. Doesn't make him any more or less of a douchebag than he currently is.

Kind of excited about going to the Yankee game and seeing Philip Hughes get shelled in his first ever start. historic stuff

I wish I would have known it was Bring Your Kid to Work Day...it would have saved me time this morning while my 2-year-old son was insisting on taking Thomas, James and Percy (Thomas the Tank Engine trains) to school. He cried on the ride in and held on to me as I tried to leave. He went in search of his naptime blankie with his teacher and I was able to sneak out.

I saw the highlights (or LOWlights) of that Braves' 9th inning...I felt bad for Wickie and agree that Hudson was left in a little too long. It IS Wickman's job though to pitch out of those situations created before him but it was unfair to him.

I'm just enjoying the Indians' lead in the Central while it lasts. Joe Borowski has a blown save, but knocked his ERA under 10.00

BO Jackson definitely is at the top of the injuries list. He was awesome.

The NFL Draft needs to get here now so that the speculation stops. Oakland is supposedly "negotiating" with 3 or 4 agents. They are just throwing out the line to see who bites. I hope there are major trades that throw all of the "draft experts" into a big tizzy. HAHA

Yeah, Bo Jackson probably could've been a HOFer in either baseball or football.

In terms of his baseball career, I still think about what Buck O'Neil said, in that he'd never heard anything like the sound of the crack of the bat coming from Babe Ruth, until he heard Josh Gibson, and much later until he heard the sound of the crack of the bat from Bo Jackson.

But still, at least his legacy will forever live on as being the most dominant player ever on Tecmo Bowl.

What about Jay Williams and Kellen Winslow, Jr. Both of them had bad motorcycle accidents that initiated an early demise to what could have been good careers. KW Jr. is back, but will he ever be the same?

What about Ben Roethlisberger, did his motorcycle injury affect him? Or, his appendicitis? Hmmm......

Seriously, even if you are a Yankee fan that remembers the event in a bad light you have to realize that glancing at it with the slightest sliver of objectivity yeilds that this debate itself takes away from what is and will continue to be one of the most daring moments in major sport history.

I, as many of you now know as you saw my pitching chart, used to pitch. I sat out games because I turned an ankle in practice. Without that pivot you can't pitch. It really is that simple.

The man not only pitched but pitched well with a procedure involving 3 plastic staples holding a tendon in place. The procedure leaves behind a 9 inch long scar. That's longer than a piece of paper is wide. It bled because his stitches were coming apart.

Thorne's comments and the discussion in general is offensive. They never even found the third staple. It popped out and is floating around down there. It was 35 degrees and drizzling by the time he left and he said he was in too much pain to remember it being cold.

Hindsight is indeed 20/20. I don't remember any Cub fans complaining about the "overuse" of Mark Prior while it was happening. They were all too busy creaming their pants and clamoring for more. Same with Kerry Wood. Blaming Dusty makes little sense to me. But then Cub fans blame all their misfortunes on something.

I'm going to have to agree with the original Andy on this one. Mark Prior is not suffering arm injuries now because of overuse. He is hurt because he had a collision which caused a problem to his shoulder that he has not ever fully recovered from. Prior went from having a fluid, effortless type motion to a more labored pitching motion because of the injury. He's had more than just shoulder injuries -- breaking an arm after getting hit by a line drive isn't an overuse injury.

Dusty Baker did not destroy Wood or Prior. Wood was fragile, as his arm problems started WAAAYYYY before Dusty -- when Don Baylor was manager. Prior has had freak injuries, which have just compounded to cause long-term problems.

Wood's injuries were fairly predictable, given the ridiculous torque/pressure he put on his arm by throwing that curveball he had. No physical way that should've even been possible. He was a time bomb with his mechanics.

Prior though, it really just seems has had one seemingly fluke injury after another that have just added up after time. Given the nature of most of the injuries, it's tough to blame Dusty. He did, however, throw 211 innings in 2003, after being placed on the DL in Sept. 2002 with shoulder soreness. And those 211 innings were after his previous career high in innings was somewhere around [I believe] 150 IP. That's a pretty good jump for someone who'd have been 22 at the time.

So while I wouldn't necessarily blame Dusty, there is the distinct possibility that his overuse has led to him being more injury prone in the long-run, and recover less quickly.

My brother and my cousin were both pitchers who had shoulder injuries. Since the human arm really isn't structured to throw some (or most) pitches, we tend to have the injuries that we hear about, especially for whatever medical reasons there are...tears, tweaks, some may say overuse, the weather, whatever.

The significance of Alan Ball in English football is his cracking performance in the 1966 World Cup which England won on their home turf. You just have to realize that football was invented in England yet they had never won the World Cup. The fact that they did it in the year that it was held in England was akin to Canada winning the World Championships in Canada for hockey or the US winning the little league world series. On top of Ball being a spectacular footballer he had the misfortune of never winning any major domestic trophies even though he played for championship caliber teams. (Check out the wikipedia article but most of this is common knowledge due to the mythical nature of their 66 cup win.)

Even though they lost last night with a typically sloppy game from a bunch of young'uns the D-rays are really looking good. Shame Iwamura had to go on the DL. I think like half the Rays lineup is batting .300+.

Worst injury ever had to be what happened to Kirby Puckett. Imagine waking up one day and not being able to see. I remember when that occurred I was reading "Metamorphoses" by Kafka and I laughed at what happened because I kept imagining Puckett waking up as an old blind bug. I guess I am just weird like that.

If the Worldwide Leader still had the NHL, Gary Thorne would have been working Game 1 of the Rangers/Sabres series. How could Gary Thorne possibly have worked a conspiracy theory about Schilling's sock into a hockey game?

Exactly.

Instead, he's free to work Orioles games, and free to indulge his inner Oliver Stone between pitches.

Oh, OK. It's a reach.

Studs: Thomas Vanek (owned the Rangers) and Andy McDonald (hat trick).Duds: Sean Avery (Even his mouth was a non-factor) and Roberto Luongo (Out of gas after that loooong series against Dallas).

hmm I wonder if Todd would think differently about this whole Schilling thing if it was say..Jeter. Imagine Jeter painted his sock and pretended it was blood, you would be all over him. And Jeter is a likeable person, Schilling is a fat piece of shit who doesn't realize that people could care less about what he has to say.

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DanShanoff.com is a sports-blog spin-off of my long-time ESPN.com column, "The Daily Quickie." Anchored by an early-morning post of must-know topics, the blog is updated frequently throughout the day with new posts and user comments.